The Letter Nobody Sends Anymore

(Which Is Exactly Why You Should)

When was the last time you sent a real letter to a prospect?

Not an email. Not a LinkedIn message. Not a “Just checking in…” text.

An actual letter. In an envelope. With a stamp.

There’s a line from sales trainer and author Jeffrey Gitomer that always stuck with me:

“The more creative you are in your approach, the easier it is to get the appointment and make the sale.”

Most tend to be predictable in their approach.

Call.
Voicemail.
Email.
“Following up.”
Silence.

Rinse. Repeat. Complain.

What if instead, you sent a letter that made them think? Not a brochure. Not a rate card. Not a résumé disguised as a sales pitch.

A one-page letter with three hard questions.

Imagine a Prospect Opening This:

Dear John,

I don’t know you yet, but I do have three important questions you might want to think about. (or whatever short intro you prefer)

If your biggest competitor decided to increase their advertising by 50% tomorrow… what would you do differently?
Imagine a potential new customer. Would you rather they find your business online by typing in your business name? Or by typing in “plumber in Dayton”? (or whatever category fits)
If I asked five of your best customers why they chose you, would they all give the same answer?

Make your own questions though or tweak these. Make sure they’re kinda tough to answer or at least makes them pause a bit.

You could also come up with a list of questions with your team. Two brains are better than one! Come up with questions that most business owners probably haven’t heard before.

Then…. No pitch. No pricing. Just:

“I’ll give you a call later this week.”

That’s it. You’re not selling. You’re provoking thought.

We’ve talked before about how business owners are evaluating YOU more than your media plan. A letter like this positions you as someone who thinks differently – not someone chasing a quota.

And when you call three or four days later? Don’t ask if they received it (it’s a real easy way for them to say no… and we don’t want them saying no).

“John, I sent you a short letter earlier this week with three questions. Did any of them strike a chord or make you curious at all?

If they say they didn’t receive the letter… just go with the flow and ask them one or two of your questions over the phone. And let the conversation go from there.

Either way… This is a very different phone call than:

“Just touching base…”

Why This Can Work

• Mail is rare now – so it stands out.
• Hard questions create tension.
• Tension creates curiosity.
• Curiosity creates conversations.

You’re not begging for 20 minutes. You’re earning it.

Pick five prospects this week.

Write five thoughtful letters. No fluff. No corporate garbage. No “We are the #1 station in the market.” Just three sharp questions that hit where it matters. Then call them.

If you want different results…

You have to stop doing what everyone else is doing.

Keep it short. Make it different.

So…

How creative are you?

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Creative is Not a “Nice to Have” – It’s the Whole Dang Engine

Let’s pretend your client’s Radio campaign is a car.

Reach? That’s the tires. Strategy? That’s your GPS. Budget / Repetition? Absolutely, that’s the gas tank (enough “fuel” is very important). But the creative? That’s the engine that actually moves the thing forward.

And according to a massive study by Nielsen and NCSolutions – we’re talking 450 campaigns across all kinds of media – guess what accounted for 49% of the sales lift?

Bingo. The creative.

Meanwhile, targeting (the thing most advertisers obsess over) was responsible for just 11%. Eleven! We’ll call that the cupholder.

The crazy part – most marketers feel that only around 21% of ad effectiveness comes from the creative – when 49% does! And that 25% of ad effectiveness comes from targeting – when only 11% does! See video link from Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group at the end of this article that illustrates this wide gap between perception and reality.

Great creative is the part that makes people care. It’s the spark. The story. The laugh at a red light. It’s what earns trust, grabs attention, and gets remembered.

Wouldn’t you like to separate yourself from all the other advertising salespeople out there who are touting all the same old crap – like reach, station rankings, demographics, impressions, etc.???!!!

If your clients would ever question why you spend time crafting, refining, and rewriting radio scripts – tell them this: “Creative drives ROI.” Period. Not in the fluffy, artsy way. In the measurable, customers-in-the-door, dollars-in-the-till kind of way.

Every time you present a campaign, you’re handing your client either a rusty old beater or a sleek, emotional powerhouse. They both might get airtime, but only one’s going to get results.

Want to sell more effectively, renew easier, and cause your clients to love you more?

Make better ads.

Here’s a link to an 11-minute video from the “Cumulus Media Westwood One Audio Active Group” YouTube channel that summarizes the studies mentioned above very nicely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-wZxQaROuI

Note: At about the 4:30 mark, it says, “Creative is a key driver of advertising performance… second only to investment levels”. Meaning, don’t skimp on the number of ads you schedule. Repetition is very key. Targeting, not so much.

Specifics are Sticky

When writing radio ads, the details are everything. The difference between an ad that fades into the background and one that sticks in a listener’s memory often comes down to one thing – specifics.

Vague statements like “we care about our customers” or “we have great prices” are forgettable. They’re wallpaper. They’re limp and useless. But say, “We answer the phone in three rings, even on Sundays,” and suddenly the listener sees it, believes it, and remembers it. Specifics build credibility. They paint a picture. They give the brain something to hold onto.

When writing for the ear, generalities slide right off. But details? Details dig in. They light up the senses. The sound of tires crunching gravel as someone pulls into their driveway. The smell of bacon on a Saturday morning. Say “2:13 a.m.” instead of “the middle of the night.” Those small touches invite the listener to feel the ad, not just hear it.

People don’t remember generalities or trite phrases. They remember moments. So, give them moments – real, colorful, sensory moments. That’s where emotion lives. That’s where trust is built.

Radio is a theater of the mind. You must paint a picture. If you want your ad to be listened to and remembered, don’t aim to be clever. Aim to be clear, bold, and tangible. Give your audience something they can see, smell, hear, or feel.

Pull up a sampling of past ads you’ve written – you’ll probably notice they could use a lot more “color”. Start writing more specifically – today. If you’re short on specifics to work from, go ask your clients better questions (remember last week’s article?), and get the details you need to create better ads!

Generalities and vagueness are forgettable. Specifics are sticky. Make your message stick.

Customer Bonding

Most radio ads are filled merely with information. Better price. Faster service. More experience. Yada yada yada… a list of what a business does and a bunch of cliches that mean nothing to a listener. They’re mostly ignored.

For your clients’ sakes (and your future success), we need to get beyond “ordinary” and “below average” ads. There’s a level of ad writing / ad creative that will help you dramatically.

It’s called customer bonding.

I think Roy H. Williams coined the term. Or at least that’s where we heard it first. We’re going to do our best here to explain customer bonding ads. They’re the best way to cause a listener to “feel” who a business is and what they stand for.

Customer bonding ads are the shortest distance to earning trust.

What is Customer Bonding?

Branding is what you do. But customer bonding is what happens when you do it right. The meaning is literally in the name. And it forces the right question.

Instead of: “Does this ad look/sound like our brand?”

You ask: “Will this make someone feel connected to us?”

The problem with the term “branding” is that it’s been watered down to mean:

logos
colors
consistency
“looking professional”

Customer bonding is what branding was always meant to be — we just forgot.

It’s about being chosen. And people don’t only choose a business they know… they choose who they feel connected to.

When someone experiences a good customer bonding ad, they think:

“They get me.”
“They’ve been where I’ve been.”
“I trust these people.”

Why Features & Benefits Fall Short

Features and benefits speak to the mind. But decisions don’t start there. They start in the heart. And as Roy H. Williams puts it:

The mind will always find logic to justify what the heart has already decided.

If you haven’t read Roy’s Wizard of Ads trilogy… you should order them today and read them ASAP. Roy started out as a very young radio sales rep and made a lot of mistakes early in his career. But over time, he learned how to turn ‘dreamers into millionaires’ by writing better ads. And you can too.

If your ads only gives people reasons… and never gives them a feeling… you’re making them work too hard to choose your client.

What Customer Bonding Looks Like in Real Life

Customer-bonding ads don’t really sound like “normal” ads.

They sound like:

A business owner’s story about a turning point
A story about a moment of doubt
A struggle people recognize and go, “Hey, me too!”
A belief that feels human and real
Being submerged into a moment you’ve lived before

They’re often a little vulnerable. A little unexpected. A little different.

And that’s exactly why they work. Because predictable ads are ignored. But human moments are remembered.

This is How You Can Separate Yourself

Anyone can sell:

Spots
Schedules
CPMs

But when you help a client uncover:

Their story
Their “why”
Their human moments

Now, you’re not selling ads anymore; you’re helping them bond with future customers.

And that’s where:

Brand preference is created
Price becomes less important
And competitors become forgettable

And to wrap this up today…

We’ll share an example of a customer bonding ad in a moment.

There are many kinds of bonding ads — I guess this one below would be considered an “origin story”. Yes, it’s a 60-second radio script. I know most of you don’t do 60’s… but I’d reconsider that when you have a type of ad like this. You can’t tell a very good story in 30 seconds. And if it’s written right… people will listen all the way through. Why? Because we all love a good story. We’re hearing Jerry’s story here. I think most people would feel a little more connected after hearing it. It will be listened to and remembered far more than any blah blah blah regular old 30-second ad that lists a bunch of stuff that a business does – and usually gets completely ignored…

“In 1960, when I was no taller than a clogged P-trap, my Dad brought the Roto-Rooter franchise to our great community. He worked his tail off to make sure his customers got better service than they expected… and that’s what they got. Hi, I’m Jerry from Roto-Rooter. 38 years later… I left the fire department and bought the business from Dad. I learned a lot from him and continued his dedication and work ethic. BUT… I wanted to serve our customers even better. Respond to calls faster, be friendlier, and work around people’s busy schedules. And we’re doing just that! But change is always happening and you’re busier than ever. There’s always something to do and somewhere to go. And we wanna keep up with you! So, we never stop improving. Our guys are trained to be the best. We fix it fast… and fix it right. My continued promise to you – is great service at a fair price. You know what? I think Dad would be proud.”
(Roto-Rooter Jingle Out)

NEVER Stop Learning – Get Better Every Day!
Duane Christensen & Rick Fink
ENS Media
www.ensmediausa.com

If you’d like to learn how our SoundADvice program can help your entire Radio sales team open more doors, protect more clients, and create more revenue, simply email [email protected] to request a pdf with all the details and pricing. And it costs LESS than 3 lattes a week.

The Knight’s Code

A medieval knight is standing guard outside the gates of a village. Armor on. Sword ready. Watching the road… making sure nothing dangerous reaches the people inside.

Knights lived by a code…

Protect the innocent. Defend those who cannot defend themselves.

Now before anyone starts ordering chainmail for the sales department… let’s bring this into your world. Because the best reps operate by a code too.

Protect Your Clients

Business owners get “attacked” constantly. Digital agencies. SEO companies. Social media “gurus.” New platforms promising magical results.

Most business owners don’t fully understand everything they’re being sold. They just know they need customers.

That’s where YOU come in.

A good rep isn’t just trying to sell airtime. You’re there to help them wade through what’s valuable and what’s just another pitch. You’re there to help them see the bigger picture of how to truly grow a strong local business.

Yes, Local SEO is valuable – but not to the tune of thousands of dollars a month.

Display and Search marketing may have their place, but they need to be part of a larger strategy and not consume more of the budget than necessary.

Social media can help local businesses stay in front of current customers and even potential ones… but it’s not how they become top of mind in their community.

Print and outdoor media can remind people of the Radio or TV ads they’ve heard or seen in the blink of an eye (Roy H. Williams calls it “anchoring”)… but visual-only media doesn’t come close to branding a business like the power of Sound.

Keep a Sharp Edge on Your Blade

Marketing knowledge is one very sharp edge of your sword.

Never stop learning.

When you become more than just another radio salesperson, your value to your client skyrockets.

Be real with your clients. Be brutally honest. The same goes for your prospects. The client you land with a song and dance—or with nothing but rankings and numbers—will usually be a temporary client.

But if you educate them from the start about what truly makes a business a household word in their community… you can have a client for life.

It means doing your homework—researching their category, watching their competitors, and bringing them ideas and information that might help their business… even if it has nothing to do with advertising.

When a business owner realizes you operate that way… something important happens.

You stop being a vendor. You become someone they trust. And when that trust forms, the relationship gets a lot stronger. Business owners are constantly asking themselves whether you’re just there to sell something… or actually help them grow.

Protect Their Results

Protecting your clients also means protecting the quality of what goes on the air.

Bad ads waste money. Great ads build businesses (and keeps them).

That’s why the best reps spend time helping create ads that are memorable, emotional, and effective. Ads that don’t blend into the background. Ads that are unexpected and can’t be ignored.

Because creative is the biggest driver of advertising success. The #1 skill you could sharpen as a radio salesperson that gives you a major edge up on any other media rep in the area… is copywriting. Period.

#2 would be to increase your overall marketing knowledge.

Yes, it takes a certain skill or quality to “get” a sale. But what will make you, your radio group, and your clients more money is by creating better ads.

Be the Knight

When you’re the “knight” who protects and defends your clients…

You won’t need to chase renewals or wonder if they’ll renew. You’ll already know.

You don’t have to have all the answers, but you should become the person your clients never hesitate to call when they have a question about marketing or growing their business.

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